Frog Fractions 2 appears on Kickstarter, will not be called Frog Fractions 2

There are a lot of strange things planned for the Frog Fractions 2 Kickstarter . None of them will make sense if you haven't played the original Frog Fractions , so you should go and do that. Most of them still won't make sense if you have played the original Frog Fractions, but at least you'll have a fighting chance. The ostensibly edutainment-based fraction-'em-up is getting a sequel, except it won't be called Frog Fractions 2. This is all going to take some explaining, so I'll meet you on the other side of the Kickstarter pitch video.

Right, let's pick through this nonsense.

Frog Fractions - and at this point I'm assuming you've played it - leveraged the aesthetic of a cheap and cheerful edutainment puzzler, then continuously warped, twisted and corrupted it until it was something else entirely. Most of all it was a secret rollercoaster, wanting to take you on a ride of unexpected delight. The purpose was to capture the surprise and wonder of world where anything could happen.

It's safe to say that, if funded, Frog Fractions 2 will take that philosophy to the extreme. That's despite the Kickstarter offering no clue as to what it might include. The reason is that, when released, its creator, Jim Crawford, isn't going to tell anyone it's been released. It's probably best to let him explain:

"It will not be called 'Frog Fractions 2.' It will probably be called something like 'Lost Kingdom: Reckoning,' by Fork Bomb LLC or 'Turbo Finance 2015' by Vespenta Holdings. Does that Russian flight sim on Desura look suspicious to you? Better play it just to make sure! Or maybe it'll be a plugin for Bonzi Buddy and you'll discover it when your grandpa asks you to make his email go faster. Wait, are you playing Frog Fractions 2 right now?"

In the pitch, Crawford refers to the moment when "The Jig is Up". That's because he'll not be providing download keys to backers until the game's been uncovered by the general gaming media. He does assure that, if a backer discovers the game before this point, they'll be able to email him for an instant code.

In all then, Frog Fractions 2 is about trust. Based on the original, Crawford is asking fans to trust that the thing he creates will be worth a donation - not just into the game, but into the whole circus of surprise that will surround it. On his part, he does at least promise that the game will be bigger in scope, contain many layers of secrets, and require multiple playthroughs to fully experience. Also, unlike the original, it won't be free on release, either.

Frog Fractions 2 is looking for $60,000, and has already raised almost $20,000 with 29 days still to go. For more, peruse the game's remarkable Kickstarter page .